Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal (Jan 2017)

Bioactivity and chemical characterization of Acalypha fruticosa Forssk. growing in Saudi Arabia

  • Ghada Ahmed Fawzy,
  • Areej Mohammad Al-Taweel,
  • Shagufta Perveen,
  • Shabana Iqrar Khan,
  • Fatma Abdulaziz Al-Omary

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2016.05.004
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 25, no. 1
pp. 104 – 109

Abstract

Read online

Acalypha is an important genus of the Euphorbiaceae family. The genus is represented by five species in Saudi Arabia. Acalypha fruticosa Forssk. Fl. Aeg is traditionally used as a cure for stomachache, dyspepsia, rheumatism, dermatitis, and swellings of the body. The present study endeavors to provide a phytochemical and biological evaluation of the plant, with the aim of relating activity to constituting secondary metabolites in the plant. Column chromatographic separation of the methanol extract led to the isolation of four compounds namely 2-methyl-5,7-dihydroxychromone 5-O-β-d-glucopyranoside 1, acalyphin 2, apigenin 3 and kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside 4. The plant extracts and the isolated compounds were subjected to biological assays to screen peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) and PPARγ agonistic, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities. Results proved for the first time, the PPARγ activator effect of acalyphin, as well as its promising anti-inflammatory activity, in addition to the dual PPAR activator effect of the chromone glucoside. The plant extracts and isolated compounds were non-cytotoxic to the tested cell lines. Thus A. fruticosa could be a valuable source of important therapeutics that may hold clinical prospect.

Keywords